MORE than 50m users of Facebook have been affected by a security breach, according to the company, and many others have been logged out of their Facebook accounts — leaving them unsure whether their data has in fact been breached or if Facebook has simply taken precautionary measures, including turning off certain features for some accounts. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a number of users in Pakistan have been affected either by the security breach or the precautionary measures Facebook has taken after revealing it to the world. As data protection and online privacy become issues that users in Pakistan are increasingly aware of and must grapple with, it is not clear to what extent private corporations and the state itself are taking seriously the new threats to citizens. Indeed, while security breaches at Careem, the ride-hailing service, and the Punjab Land Regulatory Authority have been publicly acknowledged, other alleged breaches, such as at Nadra, have been denied. The absence of a data protection legal framework in Pakistan has meant that individuals may not even be entitled to be informed if and when their data has been breached. That must surely change, and perhaps the PTI federal government, which has championed a young, dynamic and connected Pakistan in its politics, is better placed to address some of the challenges in the arena of data protection and online privacy.

From an individual-user perspective, what is required is relatively clear: a legal framework that prioritises the protection of the personal information of citizens. But private corporate interests and a security state’s demands for greater information on the citizenry can run counter to the individual’s right to privacy and expectation of data protection. Meanwhile, a growing number of first-time and frequent users of the internet in Pakistan can mean that awareness about data protection and online security may differ significantly — complicating the task of creating effective protections. At times, online privacy and security advocates here have highlighted the impact the absence of a legal framework has had on the fledging e-commerce and online commerce markets in Pakistan. But there is another positive effect that a public debate on online security and protection can have: at a time when civil liberties and fundamental rights of the citizenry are under attack from various quarters, a debate about the right to privacy online and security of data can help recast the broader rights debate in favour of individual citizens and their constitutional rights.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2018